On May 7 at 7:00 am PT or 7:30 pm Indian time, Apple’s “Let Loose” event is scheduled to take place. It is anticipated that the tech giant will reveal a number of significant updates during the event, such as the introduction of new OLED iPad Pro models and the first-ever 12.9-inch iPad Air model.

The newest M4 chipset, however, may power the upcoming iPad Pro lineup, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurnman, just one week before the event. This is in contrast to plans to release the newest chipset along with the iMacs, MacBook Pros, and Mac minis later this year. Notably, the M2 chipset powers the iPad Pro variants of the current generation. The introduction of the M4 chipset to the new Pro lineup iterations implies that Apple is doing away with the M3 chipset entirely for Pro variants.

In addition, a new neural engine in the M4 chipset is expected to unlock new AI capabilities, and the tablet could be positioned as the first truly AI-powered device. The news comes just days after another Gurnman report revealed that Apple was once again in talks with OpenAI to bring generative AI capabilities to the iPhone.

Apple’s iPad Pro Plans:

In addition to the newest M4 chipset, Apple is anticipated to introduce an OLED panel into the iPad Pro lineup for the first time. It is anticipated that the Cupertino, California-based company will release the iPad Pro in two sizes: 13.1-inch and 11-inch.

According to earlier reports, bezels on iPad Pro models from the previous generation could be reduced by 10% to 15% as a result of the switch from LCD to OLED panels. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the next iPad Pro models will be thinner by 0.9 and 1.5 mm, respectively.

The Schedule for Apple’s WWDC:

According to Gurnman, at the Let Loose event on May 7, Apple is probably going to introduce the new iPad Pro, iPad Air, Magic keyboard, and Apple Pencil. Though Apple is planning small hands-on events for select media members in the US, UK, and Asia, the upcoming event isn’t expected to be a big in-person affair like the WWDC or iPhone launch event. Instead, it is expected to be an online program.

With the confirmation of the release of an AI-based weather forecasting model that can anticipate subtle changes in the weather, Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) is taking a bigger step into the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

Known as the Scalable Ensemble Envelope Diffusion Sampler (SEEDS), Google’s artificial intelligence (AI) model is remarkably similar to other diffusion models and popular large language models (LLMs).

In a paper published in Science Advances, it is stated that SEEDS is capable of producing ensembles of weather forecasts at a scale that surpasses that of conventional forecasting systems. The artificial intelligence system uses probabilistic diffusion models, which are similar to image and video generators like Midjourney and Stable Diffusion.

The announcement said, “We present SEEDS, [a] new AI technology to accelerate and improve weather forecasts using diffusion models.” “Using SEEDS, the computational cost of creating ensemble forecasts and improving the characterization of uncommon or extreme weather events can be significantly reduced.”

Google’s cutting-edge denoising diffusion probabilistic models, which enable it to produce accurate weather forecasts, set SEEDS apart. According to the research paper, SEEDS can generate a large pool of predictions with just one forecast from a reliable numerical weather prediction system.

When compared to weather prediction systems based on physics, SEEDS predictions show better results based on metrics such as root-mean-square error (RMSE), rank histogram, and continuous ranked probability score (CRPS).

In addition to producing better results, the report characterizes the computational cost of the model as “negligible,” meaning it cannot be compared to traditional models. According to Google Research, SEEDS offers the benefits of scalability while covering extreme events like heat waves better than its competitors.

The report stated, “Specifically, by providing samples of weather states exceeding a given threshold for any user-defined diagnostic, our highly scalable generative approach enables the creation of very large ensembles that can characterize very rare events.”

Using Technology to Protect the Environment

Many environmentalists have turned to artificial intelligence (AI) since it became widely available to further their efforts to save the environment. AI models are being used by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to forecast weather patterns in an effort to mitigate the effects of pollution.

With its meteorological department eager to use cutting-edge technologies to forecast weather events like flash floods and droughts, India is likewise traveling down the same route. Equipped with cutting-edge advancements, Australia-based nonprofit ClimateForce, in collaboration with NTT Group, says it will employ artificial intelligence (AI) to protect the Daintree rainforest’s ecological equilibrium.

With the release of the new iPad Pro, Apple is poised to accelerate its transition towards artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. With the intention of releasing the M4 chip later this year, the company is expediting its upgrades to computer processors. With its new neural engine, this chip should enable more sophisticated AI capabilities.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, the M4 chip will not only be found in Mac computers but will also be included in the upcoming iPad Pro. It appears that Apple is responding to the recent AI boom in the tech industry by positioning the iPad Pro as its first truly AI-powered device.

The new iPad Pro will be unveiled by Apple ahead of its June Worldwide Developers Conference, which will free it up to reveal its AI chip strategy. The AI apps and services that will be a part of iPadOS 18, which is anticipated later this year, are also anticipated to be utilized by the M4 chip and the new iPad Pros.

May 7 at 7:30 PM IST is when the next Let Loose event is scheduled to take place. Live streaming of the event will be available on Apple.com and the Apple TV app.

AI is also expected to play a major role in Apple’s A18 chip design for the iPhone 16. It is important to acknowledge that these recent products are not solely designed and developed with artificial intelligence in mind, and this may be a tactic employed for marketing purposes. According to reports, more sophisticated gear is on the way. Apple reportedly developed a home robot and a tablet iPad that could be controlled by a robotic arm.